


TRUE ENDING

by almaterias



Category: OMORI (Video Game)
Genre: Comfort/Angst, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Not Beta Read, Other, Spoilers, uhh no idea how to tag this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-14 21:07:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29425047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/almaterias/pseuds/almaterias
Summary: The true ending, from Sunny's perspective.
Kudos: 49





	TRUE ENDING

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is my first ever fanfic I have ever published... If my English seems off, it's because it's not my first language. I'm sorry about that! I'm a huge amateur when it comes to writing in general tbh! Please don't be mean in the comments because of it aaa... Anyway, enjoy, if you do read it! ♡

I felt a bit uneasy sleeping over at Basil's house. I hadn't slept over there for many years, plus, after what happened, it never really felt the same between us. I did feel really bad for him though, and I wanted to be there for him after locking myself away for years. Kel, Hero, and Aubrey were there with me too. We had finally managed to mend our relationship a little bit.

I never thought I'd ever say it, but I felt… a little hopeful.

My heart sank when Polly said Basil hadn't come out of his room since he came back from the hospital. I had a really bad feeling; a constant feeling of dread. He gave me his most beloved photo album. His most prized possession… Now he wasn't coming out of his room. I was very worried.

The night went on. We all ate dinner, but Basil didn't join us. Everyone seemed to be in good spirits. I tried to relax, but I had a very hard time. All I could think about was Basil and if he was all right.  As we were getting ready for bed, Kel came up to me.

"Hey. You okay, Sunny?" 

I nodded. A lie, of course.

"Glad to hear it. It's kinda weird being back here after 4 years, hehe! But it's nice too." The tanned boy grinned.

I didn't know what to answer, but Kel didn't seem to mind it. I suppose he was used to my silence by now. 

After brushing my teeth, I went to the living room and sat down beside Hero on the floor. He looked at me and smiled.

"Hey!"

I nodded in response. 

"I figured we'd watch some TV before bed," he leaned closer and whispered: "It always puts Kel to sleep within 15 minutes."

Aubrey snorted. 

"Oh, I bet it does," she said with a teasing grin that made my heart stir.

"Hey! I heard you!" Kel pouted. 

They all laughed. It was a very nostalgic sound. 

. . . 

After watching TV for a while, Hero looked at me again. 

"Hey, Sunny… I know this probably wasn't the last night in town you were expecting."

I looked at him. He wasn't wrong about that, but this wasn't bad either, besides my worry for Basil. Better than being all alone in the dark in my house. Plus, I had missed them more than I admitted.

"But I just want you to know that even though you're moving away tomorrow… we'll always be friends." Hero assured.

Aubrey uncomfortably shifted around on the couch. 

"Ugh," she sighed. "That's so cheesy, Hero."

"Hey! I'm just saying what I'm thinking!"

"Hehe, Hero's always been such a big softie," Kel chuckled. "Just like you, Aubrey."

"Wh-what did you say?!" Aubrey stuttered, clearly flustered.

I thought I felt my lips curl a little bit. I couldn't recall the last time I had smiled even a tiny bit. Kel and Aubrey were always fighting like an old married couple. I didn't know why, but I was always jealous of that.

Hero let out a breathy laugh. "It's nice to hang out like this again." 

I could hear the nostalgia in his voice. I agreed with him, but at the same time, I didn't deserve to be with them again. Not after abandoning them for four years while they were grieving. 

"I've been so busy with school and studying," Hero continued. "I don't really have time to make friends anymore."

We were all silent for a while. 

"Well," Aubrey broke the silence. "You always have us, I guess…" 

Kel sat up. "See, I was right! Look who's a softie now!" 

I guessed Aubrey was too tired to protest since she only huffed in response.

"But yeah, it's true. I know we'll always be there for each other," Kel said. "Just like I know how Mari's still here with us too."

I flinched. Hearing her name… I felt a lump in my throat. We all stayed silent again for a while.

Hero changed the subject. 

"You know… I hope we'll be able to see Basil before you leave tomorrow, Sunny." There was a streak of sadness in his voice. 

"It would be nice to have a proper goodbye…"

"Yeah," Aubrey quietly agreed. 

After a while, Kel yawned. "Maaan, I'm getting sleepy…"

Not long after this, I could hear his breathing become heavy. 

"What the-" Aubrey hissed in disbelief. "Is he asleep already?"

Hero chuckled quietly.

"Yeah, that's Kel for you," he said with a smile. "That part of him hasn't changed a bit."

I could tell that Hero loved his brother very much. When Kel had told me about his big brother's outburst after Mari had died and he ran to comfort Kel as he cried, I was touched. I was… envious. But more than anything, I was glad that they could support each other as they grieved my sister. 

"Hey Sunny," he began, getting sentimental once again. It was kind of endearing… 

"Thank you for everything. It's probably been tough to leave your house after all this time… But I appreciate you for doing it for us."

My chest tightened. It was the least I could do… But even so, I felt as though my attempts to mend things were too late and not enough. It wouldn't even be possible, considering… Before my mind could go any further, I pushed those thoughts away.

Hero grinned.

"And hey!" The oldest boy in the group chirped in an attempt to cheer the rest of us up. "Tomorrow's the big day!" 

His eyes softened. "I hope you're not too worried about moving to a new place. If anything, you got us!"

Hero patted me on my shoulder. I couldn't look him in the eyes, but I felt… comforted. Although, wrongfully so. I didn't deserve to be comforted by him. By them. Weren't they mad at me? Well, Aubrey was but… she seemed to have come to terms with it. I didn't understand. 

"Life gets better. You just have to stay positive," Hero smiled.

"Hm," Aubrey mused. "Life gets better, huh…"

The pink-haired girl shifted around on the couch once again, a little embarrassed. 

"Hey, Sunny… After you move away," she began. "You should like… maybe come visit once in a while or something." 

"Yeah!" Hero happily agreed. "Then, we can all go out for some sandwiches! Or maybe we can all go to the park, or the beach, or just sit at home and watch TV… Who knows! We can do anything."

I was flattered about the suggestion. It all sounded too good to be true. 

Aubrey smiled; a rare sight. 

"Heh, that sounds kinda nice," she said. "Do you think my new friends can come too?"

The tanned big brother lit up. 

"Of course they can, Aubrey! You don't have to ask! The more the merrier, after all." He nodded enthusiastically. 

"Come on, guys," Kel groaned, barely awake. "It's time to sleep already…"

Aubrey quietly chuckled and laid her head down on the pillow. "Yeah, yeah. G'night guys."

"Good night, Kel. Good night, Aubrey. Good night, Sunny." Hero whispered. "See you all in the morning."

With the people on the TV chatting in the background, everyone tried to relax and get some sleep. Well, besides Kel, who was already snoring. I wasn't very tired yet; I had so much on my mind. Was Basil okay? I wasn't sure… But, influenced by Hero's speech, I tried to convince myself that maybe it was just my imagination. After looking around the unfamiliar yet nostalgic living room for a while, I finally closed my eyes.

. . . 

_ Don't worry…  _

_ Everything is going to be okay… _

_ Will you forgive me? My best friend… _

**_Please…_ ** __

  
  


With a ringing in my ears, I awoke in White Space once again. Omori was standing there. He looked… odd, even though he was just what I saw myself as when I was twelve. There was nothing out of the ordinary there. Omori would not say anything either, of course.

I walked up to the black light bulb and threw it to the ground. I was so sick of seeing it radiating darkness. As I did, Omori turned around to face me and everything turned back. 

Next thing I knew, Something was in front of me. I was immediately filled with anxiety and dread. I tried to attack Something, but nothing would happen. Something came in many shapes this time. The stairs Something, the spider Something, the water Something…

I used what the voice in my head had taught me accordingly, like how I remembered using them in our previous encounters. Calm down, focus, persist… 

She appeared. Mari, in her white dress. Hanging from the tree, in the darkness. I was paralyzed. I could barely breathe. Still, something urged me to still persist. Despite shaking uncontrollably and breathing heavily, I did. I didn't know how, but I did.

_ You gather all your courage… and learn to OVERCOME. _

The voice in me spoke.

I heard a 'clink' and a white light bulb appeared where Something had shown itself to me, and then everything turned white.

. . . 

I looked at my hands. Black and white. Ah, so I'm Omori now.

Around me was a colorful forest, so thick that I couldn't see past the trees. Ahead of me was a long road. I walked and I walked. In front of each gate, I picked up a black and white photo. In the depths of my mind, I knew what the pictures were about, even though I had been trying to repress it for so long. 

After picking up a few pictures, I reached a big tree. Basil was sitting in front of it. Behind him was an opening that led inside the tree. As I walked closer, he weakly waved at me.

"Sunny, you're finally here," he said softly. "I've always dreamed that you would come back for me. But maybe it's too late."

My heart sank.  _ Don't say that, Basil… _ My hands clenched into fists.

"The truth of that day will be hard to accept." Basil continued, unaware of my frustration. Or maybe he was ignoring it completely. 

The boy with the flower crown locked his gaze to mine.

"When you see it… you have to stay strong."

Basil grimaced as if he was in pain.  "And if you can, please… forgive me."

He handed me a familiar object, his photo album, and walked to the side so I could access the tree.

"There's still hope for us… because you're here," Basil whispered. "I believed in you and you came back for me. So please…"

He took my hands in his.

"Believe in me too."

A thousand emotions were running through my head, but before I could reply he let go of my hands. I shook it off and carefully walked into the opening of the tree.

I walked into the living room of my house. I was met by my mother sitting on the couch crying in complete darkness. Crying about how she lost her only daughter and how she couldn't lose me as well. It felt like a hit to the stomach. Her cries were gut-wrenching. 

I found a few photos on the floor, each vaguer than the last. 

This repeated itself in many other rooms - I ended up somewhere, I found photos, I proceeded.

I sorted all of the photos in the photo album Basil gave me earlier. 

For each room, my discomfort and dread grew. Mari, she… 

The more I remembered, the more I bled. More and more wounds appeared on my body. I did not make a sound.

I lastly ended up in an empty room with a big glass door and a lamp without a bulb. Still a bit disoriented from what happened in the rooms I had left behind me, I attached the light bulb I had picked up earlier to the lamp.

With the lamp switched on, I could see a little better even though I could feel the warm blood on my face getting in my eyes. 

There were pictures on the wall, an armchair, and a photo on the floor. I picked it up. It was me, desperately reaching out for Mari as she fell down the stairs. I choked. I… 

I looked at myself in a mirror on the wall. I had blood all over my face, my eyes were wide and a luminescent red, and my mouth was gaping abnormally. I couldn't even utter a single word of pain, but it was very painful. I was frightened. 

My breaths echoed in the room. I decided to get out of there, so I made my way out the glass door, leaving behind a bloody trail.

I ended up in the same forest where I met Basil, but this forest was dark and red; devoid of light and hope. I made my way to the first gate, once again picking up photos so the gate in front of me would open and I could proceed to the next one. 

I reached the end. There was a big tree, with a noose hanging from it. The only light that came from the sky was crimson red. At the bottom of the tree was the last photo for the album. 

Now, I could look through the album to see what I had repressed for so long. 

The pictures showed the day Mari died. I had been fed up practicing the violin. I didn't feel like I was good enough for Mari or anyone else. I didn't live up to anyone's expectations. It was the day of the recital, and I had tried to practice before the real thing, but it didn't go well, as expected. I lost my composure because I was dumb. I wanted to cry and threw my violin down the stairs. The violin my friends gave me. The violin my sister gave me. I usually didn't act  upon an impulse, but this time I did. Mari had heard me, and we got into a heated argument. It was really rare for us to be fighting like that. But we did, at the top of the stairs, and I-

_ I pushed her. _ I pushed her and I screamed. I immediately regretted it and reached for her but it was already too late. For each thud that echoed as her body hit the stairs, I flinched. Completely limp, she now laid at the bottom of the stairs. I panicked. I didn't know what to do. I didn't mean to scream at her. I-I didn't mean to push her like that! 

I tried calling her name but she wouldn't answer. I managed to drag her up the stairs and onto her bed, all while sobbing uncontrollably. Mari… Please be okay… 

She never woke up. She wasn't breathing. I didn't know what to do. All I could do was sit and cry at the side of her bed. My hands were smeared in blood. I was too paralyzed and shocked to do anything else. It was all my fault. My parents would think I did it on purpose! What was I supposed to do? I killed her! I killed Mari! I would never see her again. I would never hug her again. I would never hear her laugh again. Because I pushed- no, because I killed her!

Basil must have heard me and walked in to see me at the side of her bed in a fetal position. He was just as scared as I was and he knew something wasn't right. I tried explaining to him that I didn't mean to, that it was an accident, but I didn't know if he heard me. I cried and I cried until I couldn't cry anymore. Basil grabbed me by my shoulders and told me a plan, all while trembling… So we went through with it. 

We both hanged her lifeless body in a tree in the backyard, staging it as a suicide. 

As we walked into the house and looked back, one of her dead eyes were staring at us. It was wide open. My breath hitched. 

. . . 

I woke up with a flinch in a cold sweat. I could immediately feel that something was incredibly wrong. I felt heavy and dreadful.

I needed to check on Basil.

I stumbled my way to his room. The door was open. 

Basil was standing in front of the window, looking up at the moon. He was unnaturally stiff. After hearing me come into the room, he turned around. The moonlight illuminated his silhouette. 

"Ah, Sunny… it's just you," he said weakly with a nervous smile. "I'm glad you came. It's… it's so good to see you."

My chest tightened. I was afraid. Afraid of what he might do. Afraid of what  _ I  _ might do. I clutched my hands into fists.

Basil looked over my shoulder, his eyes wide and shining in the dark. 

"It came to you that day… the day that Mari died," he said, voice shaking.

I was shaking too.

"When Mari… when Mari fell…" he continued. "You… you couldn't have done it. It was something behind you, wasn't it?" 

I stared at his feet, unable to say anything.

"You're a good person, Sunny. I know you're a good person!" He laughed nervously. "A good person wouldn't do anything like that." 

But it  _ was  _ me. It  _ was  _ me, Basil. Every atom in me screamed that it was my fault;  _ knew  _ that it was my fault. I never was a good person. Why was he constantly telling himself that I was a good person when  _ he _ was the one getting bullied for things that  _ I  _ did and when he knew deep down that I was the one who pushed Mari? He was there and then I left him to deal with all of this trauma  _ alone. _ Basil, why? Why couldn't he see?

"After all this time, you've finally come back for me." The blonde boy's voice dragged me back to reality.

"But tomorrow," his tone became more and more strained. "You're going away."

"H-how could you do that?!" He screamed. "That's mean, Sunny. That's so mean!" 

I flinched at the sharpness of his voice. I couldn't even manage to say I'm sorry. I couldn't do anything. Like always. I just wanted to leave.

Basil stepped closer. His eyes were wide.

"Ah… there's something all around us now. Can you see it, Sunny?"

He looked at me, desperate. "There's no way out of this, is there?" 

Frightened, I took a few steps back. I couldn't do this… As I was facing the door, Something was there, preventing me from going any further. I almost yelped. 

"Where are you going?! Stop trying to leave me!" 

Basil's voice rang through my ears. I squeezed my eyes shut. I wished so badly that this was a nightmare.

"Stop it!" He yelled over and over. 

"I don't want… to be alone," the boy in front of me sobbed. "Not again."

I felt so much guilt. So much that it was crushing me. So much that it suffocated me. But I couldn't say anything-

"You can't… leave… again," he continued. 

I was so torn between running away like always, or facing the truth and saving my best friend. But thankfully my body moved on its own, and I slowly approached him.

"No," Basil said with that nervous smile on his lips again. "You wouldn't leave me. That's not like you, Sunny!" 

He looked over my shoulder once again, eyes wider than before. 

"It's something behind you again, isn't it? Ah, there is it now! Do you see it?"

I was shaking so bad. What was going to happen? What was I supposed to do?

"Stay away! Stay away from Sunny!" Basil threatened. It was the first time I had seen him like this.

With garden scissors in his hand, Basil smiled at me.

"I'll protect you no matter what, Sunny. You can count on me!"

I wasn't sure what kind of expression I was making anymore. 

"When Something killed Mari… When Something ruined all my photos… I didn't say anything. I didn't want people to think it was you, Sunny."

I bit my lip. Why? Why didn't he say anything? 

"Sunny… Sunny wouldn't do something like that." 

I could feel the taste of iron.  _ I did, Basil… It's all my fault.  _

Basil paused for a while. 

"Don't worry, Sunny. I'll save you again."

His grip on the garden scissors tightened. 

"Something behind you… I'll get rid of it once and for all."

I was so afraid. I was shaking and I couldn't see straight. I tried to run away, but Something pushed me closer to him. 

"Sunny… please don't be scared. I'm scared too, but this is for the best."

I shook my head and squeezed my eyes shut. I didn't want to do this. I didn't want to hurt him. I didn't want him to hurt me. We had already done that enough. But he came closer. 

"Everything is going to be okay…" 

Basil's Something was behind him now. Dark and frightening, and it grew for each second that passed.

**_"Everything… is going to be… okay…"_ **

My heart was beating out of my chest. I was sweating. I didn't know what to do. I felt like I was suffocating. 

No matter how much I tried to calm down, to focus, to persist… It didn't work. My breathing was getting ragged and I felt lightheaded. I wanted to run, but I couldn't. 

Again and again, Basil's Something attacked me. I had no choice but to fight back, I didn't know what else to do. I hated myself for it, but I was so frightened. A part of me still wanted to live. A part of me still hoped that maybe… maybe I could mend things a little bit more. I couldn't die here… I couldn't. I wanted to save him.

**_"Tell me, Sunny… Am I selfish for doing this?"_ ** The blonde boy cried.

Basil had never cared about himself. He had never hurt anyone. There was no way he could be selfish, not even if he killed me.

**_"Sunny… do you hate me?"_ **

I shook my head profusely, but I didn't think he noticed.

I didn't know what else to do but to fight back. The more I did, the more he cried. I apologized over and over in my head. I was so horrible.

**_"Please… stop it… Stop struggling, Sunny. I'm… I'm so tired."_ **

His voice was breaking; unsteady and frail. It made me realize how my stupid and fatal mistake messed up everything and everyone. He would be okay right now if it wasn't for me. 

Mari, Basil, Aubrey, Kel, Hero, Mom, Dad… Their pain, their trauma, their struggles, Mari's death… Everything… Everything was my fault. I shut everything out when they needed me. I left all of them in the dark. I hid the truth for all these years. I was the reason everyone's relationships fell apart. I was the reason why Mom and Dad didn't love each other anymore. I was the reason why Basil was suicidal. I was the reason for everything bad that ever happened to us. I was the reason why Basil and I were here right now, hurting each other. I-

My mind turned into loud static. My remaining composure, my sanity, myself, whatever it was, I lost it. I broke down. Everything was too much to handle and I didn't know what to do with myself. I grabbed my head in an attempt to shut the noises out but it did not work. I thought I was going to vomit. My heartbeat was thundering in my ears and I was hyperventilating. I couldn't hear a thing and my adrenaline was running high. 

I desperately kept attacking him, and so did Basil. Without a word, we kept hurting each other as we cried. 

Basil… How did it turn out this way? Why did it turn out this way? I wished with all my might and more that I could go back and change everything that happened but I  _ couldn't! _ My chest felt as though I was being stabbed with each breath. 

**_"Why? Why won't you stop?"_ ** Basil cried hysterically as he blindly slashed at me with the garden scissors in his hands. 

I yelped and felt a sharp pain in one of my eyes. The vision on my left side immediately disappeared. Before I fell down on my knees and lost consciousness, I heard Basil scream loudly in remorse as the garden scissors dropped to the floor with a thud. I thought I heard the others come running, but when they arrived I was already on the floor.

. . . 

I woke up in the middle of the street in Faraway. A little disoriented, I looked around. Mewo was waiting for me to follow him. His familiar "meow" made my heart feel a bit lighter. I hadn't seen him in forever… I made my way to Mewo and he let me pet him. He purred loudly. I missed him so much. 

The black cat then walked in the direction of my house. I reluctantly followed. 

Basil was standing in the driveway, facing my house. I carefully walked up to him. I knew I was dreaming, but it felt nice to see him safe and sound here, at least. He smiled at me as I approached. 

"Hi, Sunny," he said with a soft smile. "You found your way back home." 

"I don't know if I've ever said this properly, but…" he sighed and looked at the ground with a worried expression. "I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble." 

My jaw tightened. He was wrong…  _ I  _ was the one who caused  _ him  _ so much trouble. It was so typical of him to take the blame. I wanted to tell him that it wasn't his fault…

"When I gave you my photo album," he continued. "I really did want you to have it. But somehow, whenever I try to help… I always end up burdening you instead. Even back then." 

My heart ached upon hearing those words.

I looked at him. All this time… he kept this to himself. All this time, he was all alone. And all this time, he believed I would come back.

Basil looked away for a second as if to find the right words. After a few seconds, he looked back at me. 

"All this pain we've been feeling… The guilt in our hearts… Even if you try to bottle it all up, it all comes out somehow." He said with his go-to nervous smile.

I fidgeted with my fingers at the hem of my clothes. I didn't know what to say. He was right… It really did come out whether I wanted it or not. 

"I want to say that everything will be okay. That we have no choice, but to carry on. But… that's up to you." 

His smile softened. 

"Aubrey, Kel, and Hero are good friends. You have to trust that they'll forgive us."

As if he had read my mind, he continued. 

"It's hard to truly believe that, but… the photos in our album… they're not just photos. They're real memories. Our memories! It's proof of our friendship!" 

I met his gaze. 

"Hold those pictures close… and remember what you want to protect."

What I want to protect… I looked at the boy in front of me and thought of my friends.

Basil laughed softly and turned around.

"Haha, I'm sorry… It looks like I'm burdening you again."

He was very pale and looked so fragile that he was going to break if I touched him ever so slightly. I wanted to shake my head, but I couldn't. I wanted to reach out, but I didn't know how to. 

"The path to your future will open soon, but only  _ you _ can decide what to do in the end." 

Basil turned around again and smiled shyly.

"It's not much, but… I'll be cheering you on." 

After uttering those last words, he withdrew in the opposite direction. He stopped abruptly after a few steps like he realized that he forgot something and began to walk in my direction once again. Right when I was about to tilt my head to ask him what was the matter, I felt his arms around me as he pulled me into a tight hug. 

I immediately tensed up and tried to hold back a sob. I didn't realize how badly I needed to be comforted; how badly I needed a hug. After a few moments, Basil slowly let me go. 

"Sunny," he hummed. "Let's make some new memories together, okay?" 

This time, he turned around, walked away, and disappeared. With his words of comfort resonating in my head, I steadily stepped towards my house and opened the door. 

. . . 

_ Don't forget… _

_ It's in the toy box. _

  
  


Upon entering the house, I was struck by a strong feeling of nostalgia. The house was just like it had been before Mari passed away, before my dad left, and before everything was packed into cardboard boxes. It was as if nothing of that had ever happened. Oh, how badly I wished that was true.

A soft piano melody was playing in the background. A very familiar tune… 

Our family photo hung beside our TV. I could barely look at it. My eyes stung. Mari… I missed her so much. I missed her hugs, her voice, her laugh, her comforting presence. Everything. I missed Dad too… We used to be so close. But they were gone now. 

I wiped my eyes and walked into the hallway that led to the piano room and those damned stairs. I didn't want to go to the piano room yet, so I walked up the stairs and into Mari and I's room. There were two beds back then. She noticed I had a hard time sleeping so we switched beds. I was reluctant but she insisted. That's how she was… When I had nightmares, she'd always pat the empty side of her bed and I'd crawl under the covers with her. She was always so warm and safe. Sleeping next to her was really comforting and I'd sleep like a baby. So she would say, at least.

After some painful reminiscing, I exited the room and made my way to the piano room. The melody got louder the closer I got.

There she was, playing the grand piano. I gulped. Maybe this was too much after all… I shook my head.  _ No. I have to do this.  _

With a shaky breath, I stepped closer to my sister. 

"Sunny… it's almost time," she said, not looking away from the piano. "You've been through a lot these past few days. You must be tired."

Mari paused for a moment. 

"We all make mistakes… You've been running from this one for a long time now. It's tough to own up to them sometimes, but you'll forgive yourself, won't you?"

I didn't know what to say, like always… Even if I tried to forgive myself, I wouldn't be able to. I couldn't. I didn't deserve it. 

"You can do this, Sunny. You've worked really  hard to get to this point…"

Did I really? Did I really work hard…? All I had done was lock myself in my room for four years while escaping the real world by sleeping instead of trying to stay in contact with my best friends. I even quit school. I stopped eating properly, I stopped taking care of myself, I stopped caring about everything. Would anyone call that hard work?

"There's only one thing left to do now. Know that I'll always be watching over you, okay?" 

Her voice softened. 

"As long as you remember me, I'll be here." 

I wanted to hug her. I wanted to ask her if she would forgive me or if she was angry with me.

If only it had been me who fell down those stairs instead. 

Mari was now quiet and kept playing the piano. I reluctantly left her. 

As I walked out to the hallway once again, there was a door that I had refused to acknowledge before. A door I tried to forget about. The door to the closet.  A small key glimmered in my hand. I was afraid, but also a little more determined after hearing Mari's voice. With a deep breath, I opened the door. 

It was completely dark in there; only the light from the hallway illuminated my way inside. In the corner of the room… was the toy box. A cold shiver went through my body. I stepped closer and sat down to open the box with the key. 

My old violin was inside, just like how I had left it. Broken and pathetic, it laid upon the music sheets of Mari and I's recital song. I could still read the notes despite the blood. I carefully picked it up with shaky hands. There were still strands of Mari's hair entangled in the broken strings. I squeezed my eyes shut in an attempt to stop myself from crying. It didn't work very well.

I left the closet with my violin in hand. The piano had stopped and there were no lights in the house anymore. I made my way outside, this time the door led to a long, rainy road with street lamps on each side. I walked for what felt like a minute, and a street lamp flickered. 

I blinked and remembered one time everyone was hanging out in our treehouse. It was as if I was right there again. As if nothing had happened… We were all playing cards, and after a while, Mari arrived with her baked cookies. I always loved them. What was the name of those again? I forget.  I sat there, just listening to them talking. It was a nice feeling… I didn't want to leave. But I knew I had to keep going. 

For each street lamp that flickered, I'd recall a memory. 

The times at the beach, the picnics, the rainy days spent with them, Basil's birthday and my wish, the Christmas Eve when I got my violin that everyone saved up for, their smiles… They were all memories I treasured very much. I loved my friends and I loved them dearly. 

My violin would mend itself further and further after every memory. I tried putting it under my chin as if I was about to play. It felt very familiar… even though I hadn't played the violin in four years. Who would have kept playing after something like that happened? Mari...

I pushed those thoughts aside for now and finally reached the end of the road. I was met by a black metal door. I slowly opened it and made my way inside.

. . . 

I immediately realized where I was; the concert hall. Younger Aubrey, Hero, and Kel stood in front of the lit-up stage, waiting for me. Anxiety gnawed at the back of my mind. Aubrey walked up to me. 

"Sunny… You're finally here," she smiled and stood beside the brothers. "After this point, it's going to be up to you." 

She turned around, sadness in her voice.

"You know… Before we met, I had a lot of trouble fitting in. Even after we became friends, I always assumed you were going to leave me eventually."

She turned around once again to meet my gaze, along with a smile that danced on her lips. 

"But when the others were busy doing things, you always seemed to have time for me. You would listen to me talk for hours and hours… I could always rely on you to do that." 

I looked at her, eyes revealing more emotions than I wanted them to.  _ Of course, I would've done anything for you… _ Aubrey and I understood each other more than most. We were both bullied and often left out by our classmates. She would often talk to me about that and I would listen. I always wished I could protect her and help her, but in the end, that is what she did for me and not the other way around.

Kel stepped closer to me and continued the speech. He fidgeted with his hands. 

"I know we've missed out on each other for the past few years… But it doesn't have to stay that way." 

The young boy locked his eyes to mine, determined.

"People always tell me that I'm dense or that I'm kinda careless… But I'll always be here if you're okay with that!" 

My chest ached. I still wanted to be best friends. I didn't want us to drift apart again. But would  _ he  _ still be okay with  _ me _ , if I told him what happened? Could we heal from that?

Hero stepped forward as well. 

"Sunny… We know that you're not someone who likes to take the lead. This has been really hard for you."

He smiled gently. 

"But… you have to put a little bit of faith in us, too." 

"Just because you've done something bad, doesn't make you bad," Kel added. 

I bit my lip. 

"You've had to live with this pain for so long… and you've been keeping it all inside." The older sibling looked sorrowful.

This… this was probably how I'd want them to react, wasn't it? This was all a dream… and I was just comforting myself, right? Hero said I should believe in them but… I was dreaming right now. How would I know if this is what they truly felt? 

"It might be easier to ignore your problems, but it's okay to cry about them too. There are more good times to come. Life gets better," Hero smiled. "And you can be the one to make that happen." 

After saying that, their young appearances faded into their current ones. I… I missed them. I wanted to be with them. But I didn't know if I deserved it.

"Whatever happens next is going to be your call," the pink-haired girl stated. 

"But we're here because you want us to be," the older brother chimed in.

"And… we really hope that this isn't goodbye," Kel concluded with his classic smile plastered on his face.

I looked ahead of me and took a deep breath. Even though this might have just been my imagination, a part of me… was thankful. I wanted to believe in them. I didn't want this to be goodbye either… But could we all heal from the truth behind Mari's death? Could we? I wasn't sure. 

I tightly gripped my violin. With unsteady steps, I made my way to the stage. When I was halfway through the stairs, I could hear Aubrey whisper something before my friends disappeared and the room was tainted in black. 

"We believe in you, Sunny."

. . . 

The music rack stood in the middle of the stage, now lit up in the darkness. I knew what I had to do, but I was scared. I didn't know what was going to happen. I didn't know if I could do this. 

With shaky hands, I placed the music sheets on the music rack. The melody was coming back to me. I closed my eyes and placed the bow on the delicate strings. 

I tried playing the beginning of the melody, but it didn't take long until I felt like the walls were closing in on me. After a few moments, I dropped to my knees. I could see Mari, smiling at me as we practiced together. I could hear her words of encouragement. I couldn't take it. It was unbearable. A world without Mari… I didn't want to be in it. 

I started sobbing. Mari… I'm so sorry. All she wanted was to play the piano with me and I pushed her! I pushed her down those stairs and I couldn't take it back no matter how badly I wanted to! No matter how much I wished it had been me instead. During my inner turmoil, everything turned white. 

. . . 

I came to in White Space. My eyes were still stinging, but I pressed on. Omori was waiting for me. Now it was just him and me. Omori immediately pulled out his knife and started attacking me. When I felt like I was losing, I tried to remember my friends and their words of encouragement.

I was struggling, but Omori did not make a single grimace. When I did hurt him enough, he came back even stronger.

_ "You've caused so much suffering… yet you do nothing. And so you've earned nothing in return." _

His voice was very monotone, but it still contained so much anger and disgust. I could not look him in the eyes. I just kept attacking him, and he did as well. My reactions were pretty slow and I had a hard time dodging his wild attacks. He kept saying horrible things to me… but deep inside I knew that these were my deepest fears and thoughts.

_ "Your friends will never forgive you. They'll abandon you like you did them… and that's what you deserve."  _

_ "You tell yourself that you don't want to burden others, but the truth is that you're selfish. You just don't want people to depend on you."  _

_ "When do you think about others? How long are you going to let people take care of you? You say you care but you're a liar. You've never done anything for anyone else. You're useless… less than useless. You're  _ **_sick._ ** _ " _

_ "People like you don't deserve to live."  _

_ "Your friends are wrong about you. The person they love isn't you at all. You let them believe in a lie to protect yourself." _

_ "You're nothing but a liar… and when they see the truth, they'll hate you as much as you hate yourself." _

_ "If they know the truth, you'll never be able to regain their trust. No matter what you do, it will be hopeless. All you'll do is make things worse. It would be better to just die." _

_ "You killed Mari. She loved you and you killed her. Hero loved her and you killed her. Aubrey loved her and you killed her. Kel loved her and you killed her. Basil loved her and you killed her. You loved her and you killed her."  _

No matter how badly I wanted to scream that he was wrong, he wasn't. I killed her. Everyone loved her, I loved her, and then I pushed her down those stairs. He was probably right about my friends too… They'd hate me for lying to them all this time. For hiding the truth. And I deserved it! I tried to calm down but I couldn't hold myself together. I felt as though my lungs were filled with glass. I was barely holding on.

_ "You loved her and you killed her."  _

Omori kept taunting me with those words while attacking me. I couldn't do anything, no attacks would deal much damage to him anymore. One last slash and I fell to my knees.

_ "You should just die,"  _ Omori said coldly as I felt my consciousness fade.

As my vision turned dark, I remembered Basil's words.  _ Remember what you want to protect.  _ I felt determined to survive. I couldn't let it end like this. I… I wanted to tell everyone. I wanted to help Basil. Even if there wasn't much I could say or do, I wanted to try. Aubrey, Kel, Hero, Basil, and I had finally started talking again. I didn't want to give up. Not yet.

As I picked myself up from the ground, I readied my violin. This time, I was going to play the melody… how it was meant to be played. 

A piano melody rang out. Many times before in the past, I had heard this exact part. I could feel Mari's presence next to me, but she was just out of sight. I joined in on my violin. 

I recalled our times together. How we'd sleep next to each other every night. How she'd cheer me on. How we met Kel and Hero, and not long after Aubrey and Basil. We were so happy, and we had so much fun together. We'd grow plants together, play piano together, lay down on our secret spot while stargazing, have picnics… I recalled when Mari saved me from drowning, and her relieved sobs and embrace after I regained consciousness. I had never felt so safe in my entire life.

The melody went on, and I tried to glance at my sister, but I couldn't make out her features. My emotions were starting to get the best of me, and I had a hard time playing along with the song, but I kept going. I recalled one last thing; her calm face as she laid upon white egret orchids. It felt so unreal, she looked as though she was merely asleep. Mari… I missed her so much. My tears would not stop.

When I finished the melody, Omori stood before me. I fell into his arms, shaking, as he dropped his knife. He held onto me without a word and disappeared. I closed my eyes.

. . . 

I woke up to the sound of soft beeping. I instantly felt a huge wave of relief. I sobbed quietly. I made it, I didn't give up. I faced the truth behind her death. Only having vision on my right eye was the least of my problems right now. It did sting a little bit, but I didn't mind it. As I looked around, I saw bouquets of flowers all over the room. They were from everyone in town. They were all too kind. I rose to my feet and made my way out of the room. I completely forgot the IV plug and ended up dragging it with me. It was alright though, I needed some support to stand anyway. 

I walked and I walked and finally reached the main corridor. There, I saw Basil's younger self and the others in my friend group. They went separate ways, but I knew which one I had to follow. 

I now stood outside Basil's hospital room. Being the nervous wreck I was, I had second thoughts. Maybe they wouldn't be very forgiving, maybe they wouldn't forgive me at all. But that wasn't going to stop me anymore. They deserved to know the truth. I took a deep breath and opened the door.

Basil was not awake yet, but everyone was there, sitting beside him. A soft beeping resonated in the room. Aubrey, Kel, and Hero turned their attention to me as I stepped forward. Maybe they sensed something was different; they didn't say a word. 

This time, I didn't run away. I didn't look down. I met everyone's gaze and tried to gather the strength to talk. Finally, I opened my mouth.

"I have to tell you something."


End file.
